Can I Hack a $10K Door Build?

I saw this door online for almost $10,000 and I thought to myself, “I can build that for cheaper!” The budget is $1,500 and I have no idea if it’ll even hang upright because it is massive, but we’re certainly going to try. Most people would take a slab this size and turn it into a table, or a countertop, or some other beautiful piece of furniture, but you all know I love a sliding barn door and that’s what we’re going to make! So grab your tools and let’s get started friends!

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Want to see this build in action? You can watch my build video here (+ make sure to subscribe to my channel)!

Tools + Materials

Tools

MAterials

1. Buy a Slab

This is by far the biggest slab I’ve ever worked with and I’m so excited for it.

I got this slab from my friend Dave at 1 of A Kind Live Edge Slabs and he was able to flatten it for me before I took it back to my shop.

This beauty did cost me $1,300 but that’s still way better than $10,000. And she’s heavy, 8 feet tall and 3 feet wide, so she’ll need some modifications.

2. Trim the Slab

So I used my track saw to trim this slab down. I know this isn’t a budget friendly tool, but I have shared tons of projects showing how to build furniture out of slabs just like this with only a circular saw. Here’s a whole blog post about using a circular saw if you’re interested!

3. Prep for Epoxy

Next I prepped the slab for epoxy. I used my torch to burn off any debris that was inside the cracks.

And I sanded the cracks to make sure they were smooth.

I used Tyvek tape to seal the slab and ran a flame over it to really seal it to the slab. I didn’t want the epoxy to leak through at all once I start pouring.

So I was able to flip the slab on my own. But it confirmed that I will need assistance when it’s time to move it down to the basement.

4. Fill the Cracks With Epoxy

I mixed up some epoxy and added some drops of color, then poured it into the cracks so there were no more voids in the slab.

Between the tape and the epoxy I poured in the cracks that go all the way through the slab we’ll call this $35 worth of materials (in case you’re keeping track of the budget).

I popped the bubbles with a flame, and after 2 coats of epoxy this slab was ready to dry overnight.

5. Reframe the Doorway

So, it turns out the doorway where this massive door will be installed is 38 inches wide, even though I could’ve sworn it was 36 inches wide…Always measure first!

So I went back out to the shop and cut some 2x4s on the miter saw so I could add them to the doorway and reframe it so it would be 35 inches wide. Which means the 36 inch wide door will now cover it perfectly.

I glued 2x4s together with construction adhesive and screwed them together. The adhesive may have been overkill but this door is truly so heavy and I feel better knowing it’s got that extra support.

Then I installed them in the doorway and I didn’t include the cost of this fix in my total budget. I used leftover lumber and materials so there wasn’t a true expense there. But also, if you’re recreating this project at home, you should be sure to measure your doorway first before building your door so you can avoid having to change the width of the doorway later. Kind of a hassle.

This header up top is where I’ll actually be installing the barn door.

I drywalled in the newly framed out doorway. But drywall is literally the bane of my existence, if I ever need to do a lot of drywall for a future project I’m hiring it out. It’s not that I can’t do it, it’s just literally my least favorite thing to do.

I like to use spackle in a doorway like this because you can apply it a little heavier and it’s resistant to shrinking or cracking as it dries. It can still be feathered out and applied the same way as joint compound. Joint compound is typically used when you’re taping in between 2 pieces of drywall because it’s lightweight, easy to sand and you can build it with a few layers. So I opted for spackle, especially because it goes on pink and dries white so you’re positive when it’s dry.

Then I sanded it until it was smooth.

Then I made sure to paint over so everything matched.

6. Modify the Slab to Fit the Doorway

Even after reframing the doorway I still only had about 3 inches of clearance on the left side, so I had to make sure the door would be able to fit properly. Unfortunately, I had to fake the live edge a bit with the way I had to trim it down. This really bothered me because I chose the most beautiful slab because of how its live edge looked. But we live and we learn. I used the jigsaw to make the cut and hoped that it would look natural.

Then I used an angle grinder and a sander to make sure the edge was smooth.

7. Install the Barn Door Hardware

My friend Drew Witt invented this really cool acrylic base for my trim router. It helped me route out this annoying channel in the bottom of my barn door with absolute ease because it has a handle attached and I was able to keep it really sturdy as I used it, which I could never do before when I was using my trim router. 10 out of 10 highly recommended. He’s also got an awesome channel, so go subscribe and check him out!

After that channel was routed I applied construction adhesive and installed the track and wheel.

I used painters tape to hold it in place while it dried and I then used my driver to secure the wheel into place.

Added in the springs and secured the wheels.

I had to install this concealed barn door sliding mechanism on the back of the slab which required more stressful routing.

The barn door hardware was about $96. I was truly concerned that it wasn’t going to be strong enough to hold this heavy door up.

8. Finishing

I used the shade Dunes from Rubio Monocoat.

It’s a one coat finish (it does take a full day to cure) and I literally used the smallest amount to cover the door. So that adds $36 to our total cost.

9. Installing the Door

Next I needed my partner in crime to help me carry the door down the stairs. He’s the best.

This was definitely a two person job.

Ok so don’t forget to read the instructions when you have them. The barn door hardware gave specific measurements for where to place the hardware on the wall, but of course I decided I wanted to do it my way. It took us some trial and error to get it secure, and the measurements given were tricky for this door since the edges were not uniform in their width.

But we got it done and it was so satisfying to finally have it hung on the wall!

10. Final Touches

I had to finish some trim so I nailed it in and finished it with caulk. We couldn’t have the space around the door looking unfinished next to our knock off $10K door.

The Reveal

Not bad right? And it actually works!

It looks so good next to the laundry room, right?

But the best part might just be that I came in $33 under budget.

I hope you enjoyed this challenge as much as I did. It was super fun to find a really high end and expensive piece online and recreate it myself for a fraction of the retail cost. I love the simplicity of this door but the statement of it’s size and it is just perfect for this doorway. What do you think, do you want to see more knockoff build projects? I would definitely be down to do more builds like this. I’ve got some other projects coming up in the meantime and I’ll be spending some time back on the camper van build. So make sure you stay tuned, and until then, Happy DIYing Friends!